


I Like Your Mask

by zarcake



Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Mention of attempted assault, Mention of smut, Overwatch AU, only reaper does, overwatch doesnt exist
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-16
Updated: 2017-07-16
Packaged: 2018-12-02 20:01:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,336
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11516409
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/zarcake/pseuds/zarcake
Summary: You, the reader, meet Reaper as a child. You two form a bond and he becomes your shadow.





	I Like Your Mask

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first Overwatch fan-fiction. Overwatch doesn't exist, only Reaper does. This is written from a female readers perspective. But I hope everyone enjoys this, I had fun writing this.

The first time you met him you were ten years old. Your family had rented a cabin one summer, and you being the excited girl who had a love for animal life and the forest ran off every chance you got. You liked to imagine you were the first explorer in this forest, you wrote down what animals you saw and where and attempted to draw them. So, you took a bag, some food, some water, your journal, and a map of the area and you were gone. Ignoring your parents calls and their concerns, you didn’t care.

One day you found an abandoned building. You checked your map and saw this building was not on it, it was off an old dirt road that was almost retaken by the forest. In fact, you had walked by this road many times, and now you just realized that it used to be a road. So, you followed the road and found the abandoned building. It was large, made mostly of cement, and a bit creepy. Staring up at the building you shivered, stories of monsters and ghosts getting the better of you. You were going to leave when you saw an owl fly into the building through one of the broken windows. You loved owls. Gripping your journal tightly in your hand you went into the building, forgetting all those scary stories.

The building was large and mostly empty, and it smelt rotten and wet. You noticed portions of the upstairs floors were gone, allowing you to look up into the next levels. You searched for that owl and her nest, but you didn’t find her. You went upstairs as far as you could and wondered around, you found evidence she was there. But you didn’t see her. Only things you found were old desks, rotten pieces of paper on the floor, and chairs that were falling apart. Sighing you kicked a chunk of cement away from you and enjoyed hearing the echo throughout the building. You decided to head back home when you noticed something in one of the rooms.

On a table in a room there was a solid mask that looked like an owl’s face. You marveled at it, it was terrifying yet it was so beautiful. It would make for an awesome Halloween costume you thought smiling. You stuffed it in your bag and ran out of there, a smile on your face. You didn’t notice the dark figure watching you from the corner of the room or see the old bed along a wall.

You had almost left the building when you noticed the sun had almost set, no doubt your parents would be angry at you. But you stopped when you noticed how dark inside the building had gotten, the only light was coming from the setting sun that was piercing through the entrance. You slowed down and looked around, that’s when you saw the figure.

Fear seized your young heart, making you freeze in place. It ghosted up to you, but it’s face was hidden. You could see its claws shinning in the light and you could see smoke drifting off the thing. You gripped your journal tightly, tears pricking the corners of your eyes.

“You took something that’s mine.” Came a deep inhuman voice. You jumped at the voice and let out a small squeak, but you remembered the mask.  
You slipped off your bag and took out the mask, the darkness around you seemed to shift and get lighter. A clawed hand reached out from the darkness with an open palm, waiting for the mask. You gently set it in its hand and stepped back. The hand returned to the darkness, and the only thing you saw was the mask being placed on a face. It stared back at you.

“I’m sorry I took your mask.” You said weakly. The figure tilted its head at you.

“Thank you for returning it.” He growled, but there was a softness in his voice.

“I like your mask, it’s really cool. I thought it would be great for a Halloween costume, since it looks like an owl, and I love owls. I saw one fly in here, that’s why I’m here. But I couldn’t find her. Have you seen her?” you ask, forgetting that this creature wasn’t human and could easily kill you.

“Shouldn’t you be at home where it’s safe? The forest is a scary place after dark.” The thing growled.

“It’s not dark.” you started but you noticed the sun had almost fully set. You began to panic, you had never gone home in the dark, what if you got lost. He was right, the forest is a scary place at night, what if you got lost and you never got home? Fear seized you and began to cry.

“I don’t know how to get home in the dark. Could you help me?” you asked, looking up into the owl mask. Tears streamed down your face, and even a monster has a heart. He nodded his head and held out his clawed hand. You brightened up and took it, happy to be escorted home.

After that, you returned to him every chance you got that summer. Your parents were angry, but you couldn’t be stopped. Not only was the forest calling you, but so was this strange creature you had encountered. At first, he tried to ignore you, but you were persistent. A friendship began to blossom between you two. He started greeting you when you entered the building and you talked about every animal and anything else you could think of.

You called him Owl Man for a while, until he told you his name one day as he took you home. Gabriel. You smiled at him and held his hand tightly.

He was usually silent, but kind. He took you to see deer, he carried you on his back since you made too much noise. You quickly made notes and smiled as you watched the mother deer and her babies. He took you to a meadow and gently put a flower in your hair which made you giggle and you made him a flower crown and put it on his head. That really made you laugh and he just chuckled. He showed you different stars and explained how to navigate using them when you stayed out too late, which always angered your parents. He didn’t talk much about himself, but he enjoyed hearing you speak. You spoke about your family, about the birds that you see from your window, you even mentioned how you walked into poison ivy one day. He chuckled at that story.

But as the summer came to an end, you went to him in tears. You were leaving tomorrow and you cried, saying you didn’t want to leave and you wanted to stay with him. He patted you back softly and held you close.

“Don’t cry cariño. I hate to see you sad.” He growled softly.

“I don’t want to leave you. You’re my best friend, let me stay with you please.” You sobbed, gripping his cloak tightly.

“You cannot stay, the forest is no place for you to grow up. You need to go home with your parents. But, how about I come with you? I have grown attached to you, and this forest will be empty without you running through it with your laughs.”

He did come home with you. Your parents never noticed the shadow that followed you, nor did they hear you both whispering to each other at night. They thought the owl faced man you drew was just an imaginary friend you would soon grow out of. But you didn’t grow out of him, he stayed with you. He went with you to school, steered you away from trouble and bullies with whispers, he gave you the confidence to ask questions and stand up for people and yourself. Course, how could you not be confident when a wraith followed you everywhere.

During your school days, he would help you study. He never helped you cheat, but he would sometimes give you hints on tests even he thought were hard. He never babied you, he wanted you to do things on your own and be strong enough to live on your own. He was so proud the day came when you off to college. He went with you of course and continued to help you and watch over you. He was your shadow after all.

He was your guardian, your shoulder to cry, and your friend when no one was there. At night, when you were lonely or sad, he would hold you sing softly in a Spanish. He watched you go from a silly child to a confidant adult. It was during the time you went to college that Gabe realized he had feelings for you, and he hated himself even more. He helped you grow up, he felt like he would be taking advantage of you. But part of him hoped you would feel the same, until you arrived home one day with news that you met someone, a man who smiled at you and complimented you. Your wraith hated him.

“Gabe, a frown doesn’t look good on your beautiful face. Why do you hate him?” you asked one day as you got ready for your date. He sat, pouting on your bed, with his mask on your dresser and a frown on his face.

“Cariño, I’m not human. And being inhuman allows me to see the truth where others would see lies, and he is nothing but lies. You’re a grown woman, do what you wish. But I’ll be here if you need me.” he said, holding you close, a pained look on his scarred face. You smiled and held him back. You knew he wouldn’t stop you from being a kid and making mistakes, but he would be there to stop you from being hurt. He was your protector after all.

So, you went on several dates with this new man, with Gabe following you both. Gabe was angry each time, but not with you. Mostly with himself. He loved you and the fact that this man would be holding you made him angry, he should be holding you and kissing you and making you squirm under his touch. But you seemed to enjoy yourself with him, even if Gabe could tell he was trouble. You went from being a goofy kid to a beautiful young woman, and he fell for you. He didn’t know if you felt the same, but he wouldn’t interfere with your happiness. He loved you too much for that.

After the third date, the man went back to your place. Gabe couldn’t watch him be with you, he couldn’t watch him be your first when Gabe had begun to imagine him as your first. It broke what remained if his heart, so he was getting ready to leave when he heard you say stop. And then stop again and slap. Then you cried out in pain and shock. Gabe was there immediately. The man had you pinned down and was trying to hurt you, you tried to fight him off but he was holding your hands down tightly and he was so much bigger than you. But you have Gabe, and he would always do the fighting for you.

He ripped the man off you with a horrifying snarl. The man let out a yelp as you he was enveloped by smoke and they both vanished. Leaving you alone in your room, tears in your eyes and hand shaped bruises on your wrists. Gabe came back about twenty minutes later. He pulled you close as he removed his mask, allowing you to see the face you always thought was so handsome. Gabe kissed your forehead and held you as you cried.

After that, that man you dated was reported missing. The police came to ask you questions, but seeing the bruises on your wrists they let it go. He vanished without a trace and his body was never found. You stopped dating, mainly because you loved Gabe, but you also realized humans are truly the monster’s. You dated that human man to ignore your feelings for your wraith and to seem like a normal human girl, but now you couldn’t. You loved him.

 

When you told him, you thought for sure he would leave. You were so surprised when his cold lips crashed down against yours and his hands wrapped around your waist and pulled you close. You have wanted this for so long, you have wanted him for so long.

Your protector became your lover, the one creature you could always rely on. He held you close every night and made love to you in the most amazing ways, he was always so gentle with you even when he was rough. He kissed any bruises he left on you and held you close after the rougher sessions, gently touching your hair and running his hands across your soft body and whispering how you’re such a good girl for him in your ear. His touches made you shiver and beg him for more. He made you see stars and had you calling his name so loud your neighbors asked about this Gabe with smirks, that always made him chuckle.

“I’m glad I found that building and I took your mask that day in the forest.” You told him one night as you both lay there naked. His hard body had a grayish tint, and so many scars. That smoke seemed to constantly come off him, even in this state. Your hand ran across his firm chest as he played with your hair.

“I’m glad a silly little girl walked past that owl nest at least five times and never found it.” He chuckled, kissing your forehead.

You had to agree with him, you were glad you missed that nest too.


End file.
